US5230543A - Safety bumper for an automatic guided vehicle - Google Patents

Safety bumper for an automatic guided vehicle Download PDF

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Publication number
US5230543A
US5230543A US07/789,516 US78951691A US5230543A US 5230543 A US5230543 A US 5230543A US 78951691 A US78951691 A US 78951691A US 5230543 A US5230543 A US 5230543A
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United States
Prior art keywords
vehicle
automatic guided
bumper
guided vehicle
lever
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US07/789,516
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English (en)
Inventor
Barry D. Douglas
John M. Kuzmission
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FMC Technologies Inc
Original Assignee
FMC Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by FMC Corp filed Critical FMC Corp
Priority to US07/789,516 priority Critical patent/US5230543A/en
Priority to SE9203233A priority patent/SE510516C2/sv
Priority to DE4237578A priority patent/DE4237578C2/de
Assigned to FMC CORPORATION reassignment FMC CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: DOUGLAS, BARRY D., KUZMISSION, JOHN M.
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US5230543A publication Critical patent/US5230543A/en
Assigned to FMC TECHNOLOGIES, INC. reassignment FMC TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: FMC CORPORATION
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60T—VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
    • B60T7/00—Brake-action initiating means
    • B60T7/12—Brake-action initiating means for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger
    • B60T7/22—Brake-action initiating means for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to automatic guided vehicles generally, and most particularly to safety bumpers for automatic guided vehicles which are intended to detect objects in the path of the automatic guided vehicle so that vehicle motion may be stopped upon such detection.
  • Safety systems incorporated in the design of these vehicles include safety bumpers equipped with sensing and control devices to sense objects which come into contact with the bumper and stop the vehicle upon encountering an object in the vehicle path to prevent a collision of the vehicle with the object. Effective operation of these safety devices is essential to assure the safety of personnel and property in the vehicle's operational environment.
  • These safety bumpers must be capable of resetting themselves and undergoing repeated operation without being damaged yet, the effectiveness of the bumper to stop the automatic guided vehicle upon contact with an object cannot be compromised. There should be no dead spots or zones in the bumper sensing field. The device should not cause nuisance shutdowns of the vehicle when personnel or property are not endangered.
  • Automatic guided vehicle safety bumpers of the prior art have included rigid or flexible bumper panels supported in front of the automatic guided vehicle by struts and stabilizing guy wires which allow displacement of the bumper panel by an object which comes into contact with it. Sensors are provided to detect movement of the bumper panel and send a signal to a control device which stops movement of the vehicle upon the occurrence of such a displacement.
  • a safety bumper for an automatic guided vehicle comprising a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a flexible, resilient, band-like displacement member including a central portion generally transverse to a direction of travel of the automatic guided vehicle and two end portions curving backward to ends of the sensing member which are attached to two front corners of the automatic guided vehicle. At each corner, the respective end of the band like detection member is fastened to the corner by a freely swinging hinge.
  • Each hinge has a pin which is fixed to rotate with the bumper side of the hinge.
  • a cam assembly including a cantilevered arm, is attached to the bottom of the hinge pin to rotate with the pin and bumper end as a unit.
  • a cylindrical proximity switch which can sense the presence of metal objects in a field of view directly in front of its face is attached to a corner panel at each corner.
  • a set screw allows adjustment of the cam lever about the hinge pin axis to position the lever directly beneath the face of the proximity switch when the flexible detection member is in repose.
  • the proximity switch is adjustable vertically relative to the lever to adjust the distance between the detection face of the proximity switch and the lever and, thus, the sensitivity of the proximity switch to lever movement.
  • an aluminum channel is fastened to the inside of its central portion. Cables are fixed to this channel at two positions to either side, and equidistant from, a longitudinal vehicle axis. The opposite end of each of these cables is then attached to a front panel of the vehicle at a point further removed from the longitudinal vehicle axis than the distance between the attachment point to the reinforcement member from the longitudinal axis toward the respective vehicle forward corner.
  • the central forward portion of the flexible detection member, front panel of the vehicle and two stability cables define a symmetrical trapezuide. The curved portions of the resilient flexible detection member thus urge the central portion away from the vehicle to maintain tension in the stabilizing cables.
  • corner panels of the vehicle are designed with an angled corner such that the attachment point of the respective hinge may lie behind the forward panel of the automatic guided vehicle to allow complete collapse of the bumper without damage.
  • the angled portion also facilitates allowing of the bumper to extend to the side of the vehicle to provide an extra measure of side protection.
  • a control unit which receives the obstacle indicative signal of the proximity switch and causes motion of the vehicle to cease in response to that signal.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automatic guided vehicle with safety bumpers in accordance with the present invention provided at opposite ends of the vehicle.
  • FIG. 2 is a more detailed plan view of a safety bumper for an automatic guided vehicle comprising a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a detailed elevation of the hinge and motion sensing assembly of a safety bumper for an automatic guided vehicle comprising a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • Automatic guided vehicle 10 shown in the plan view of FIG. 1, has a longitudinal axis 15 and may travel in either of directions A and B.
  • Safety bumpers 20 comprising a preferred embodiment of the present invention are provided at each of ends 12 of automatic guided vehicle 10.
  • Bumpers 20 are shown in greater detail in the plan view of FIG. 2, and comprise a flexible, resilient, band-like detection member 30 with central portion 32 and end portions 34 which are bowed and curve backward to displacement member ends 36. Ends 36 are attached to bumper sides 42 of bumper hinges 40 by rivets 48 as may be seen in the cutaway sectional view of FIG. 3, taken at line III--III in FIG. 2.
  • Displacement member 30 may be fabricated of any sufficiently flexible and resilient material, for example, Lexan® material as manufactured by General Electric Company.
  • Hinge pin 46 is fixed to rotate with bumper side 42 of hinge 40.
  • Vehicle side 44 of hinge 40 is fixed to corner panel wall 14, and rotatably embraces hinge pin 46.
  • Cam assembly 50 is fixed to the base of hinge pin 46 and comprises lever 52, sleeve 54 and set screw 56.
  • Sensor assembly 60 is fixed to the inside of corner panel 14 of automatic guided vehicle 10 and comprises proximity switch 62 secured to bracket 64 by retention nut 66, 67.
  • reinforcement member 80 fabricated from a lightweight rigid material, for example, aluminum or nonmetallic extruded channel, is fastened to the inside of central portion 32 of displacement member 30.
  • Flexible positioning cables 82 for example, stainless steel cables, are attached to reinforcement member 80 at two locations on opposite sides of vehicle axis 15 and attached to respective corner panels 14 of automatic guided vehicle 10 at locations more distant from axis 15 than the attachment points to displacement member 30 such that central portion 32, front panel 16, and positioning cables 82 outline a trapezoidal shape in plan.
  • bowed portions 34 of flexible resilient displacement member 30 urge central portion 32 outward, away from front panel 16 against the restraining tension in positioning cables 82.
  • This configuration of the exemplary preferred embodiment of the automatic guided vehicle safety bumper 20 of FIGS. 1 and 2 maintains a stable configuration of flexible, resilient displacement member 30 during vehicle operations while allowing displacement member 30 to partially or totally collapse upon impacting an object in the path of motion of automatic guided vehicle 10.
  • corner panels 14 are angled backward at 45 degrees to allow complete collapse of displacement member 30 without damage and to allow bumper 20 to provide extra side protection by allowing bowed portions 34 of displacement member 30 to extend to the side of automatic guided vehicle 10.
  • bumper 20 of the exemplary preferred embodiment remains fully extended and in the configuration shown in the plan views of FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • displacement member 30 of bumper 20 Upon coming into contact with an object in the path of automatic guided vehicle 10, displacement member 30 of bumper 20 will begin to collapse.
  • flexible member 30 will change shape causing one or both of ends 36 to rotate, together with hinge pin 46, to accommodate a new bumper plan form shape.
  • This signal is transmitted to a conventional control device (99) by means of signal cable 68.
  • the control device Upon receipt of such a signal, the control device causes automatic guided vehicle 10 to stop moving.
  • Proximity switches 62 are wired in an "OR" configuration so that a change of state signal by either or both of switches 62 will cause automatic guided vehicle 10 to come to a stop.
  • the lengths of cables 82 are selected such that the distance between central portion 32 and front panel 16 is about 16 inches, which is sufficient to bring automatic guided vehicle 10 to a halt from a speed of about 250 feet per minute before front panel 16 collides with an object detected by displacement member 30.
  • Set screw 56 in collar 54 allows rotational adjustment of cam assembly 50 about the axis of hinge pin 46 such that lever 52 may be positioned directly in front of proximity switch face 63 when safety bumper 20 is in repose. Sensitivity of safety bumper 20 to contact with objects may be adjusted by a moving proximity switch 62 vertically upward or downward to increase or decrease the distance between face 63 of proximity switch 62 and lever 52 by turning retention nuts 66, 67.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)
  • Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
US07/789,516 1991-11-08 1991-11-08 Safety bumper for an automatic guided vehicle Expired - Fee Related US5230543A (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US07/789,516 US5230543A (en) 1991-11-08 1991-11-08 Safety bumper for an automatic guided vehicle
SE9203233A SE510516C2 (sv) 1991-11-08 1992-11-02 Säkerhetsstötfångare för ett automatiskt fordon
DE4237578A DE4237578C2 (de) 1991-11-08 1992-11-06 Sicherheitsstoßfänger für ein automatisch gelenktes Fahrzeug

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US07/789,516 US5230543A (en) 1991-11-08 1991-11-08 Safety bumper for an automatic guided vehicle

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US5230543A true US5230543A (en) 1993-07-27

Family

ID=25147867

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US07/789,516 Expired - Fee Related US5230543A (en) 1991-11-08 1991-11-08 Safety bumper for an automatic guided vehicle

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US5230543A (de)
DE (1) DE4237578C2 (de)
SE (1) SE510516C2 (de)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5775750A (en) * 1996-06-19 1998-07-07 Abb Flexible Automation Inc. Robotic collision detection bumper
US6183025B1 (en) * 1997-03-25 2001-02-06 Hope Technical Developments Limited Bumper assembly
US6267194B1 (en) * 1998-12-17 2001-07-31 Daimlerchrysler Ag Brake control system for a motor vehicle
US6364433B1 (en) * 1999-05-07 2002-04-02 Werner H. Stemer Automotive brake system and method
US6761020B1 (en) * 2001-01-04 2004-07-13 Donald F. Behrens Delineator pole and mower attachment
US20050250413A1 (en) * 2004-05-10 2005-11-10 Lo Kai C Moving toy

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE523968C2 (sv) * 2002-03-20 2004-06-08 Allan Johansson Anordning vid skydd för fordon samt användning av ett ifrågavarande skydd

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1325729A (en) * 1919-12-23 george albert lyoii
US3664701A (en) * 1970-11-12 1972-05-23 Webb Co Jervis B Safety bumper for driverless vehicle
FR2523908A1 (fr) * 1982-03-26 1983-09-30 Fata Sa Pare-choc de securite pour mobile automoteur au sol
US4730690A (en) * 1986-09-02 1988-03-15 Caterpillar Industrial Inc. Object sensing arrangement
US5048637A (en) * 1990-03-26 1991-09-17 Mannesmann Demag Corporation Bumper system for automatic guided vehicles

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3213957C2 (de) * 1982-04-16 1987-04-02 Mannesmann AG, 4000 Düsseldorf Auffahrabschaltung für ein Fahrzeug
CH662992A5 (fr) * 1985-03-01 1987-11-13 Jd Technologie Ag Dispositif de protection contre les tamponnements pour vehicules de transport au sol.

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1325729A (en) * 1919-12-23 george albert lyoii
US3664701A (en) * 1970-11-12 1972-05-23 Webb Co Jervis B Safety bumper for driverless vehicle
FR2523908A1 (fr) * 1982-03-26 1983-09-30 Fata Sa Pare-choc de securite pour mobile automoteur au sol
US4730690A (en) * 1986-09-02 1988-03-15 Caterpillar Industrial Inc. Object sensing arrangement
US5048637A (en) * 1990-03-26 1991-09-17 Mannesmann Demag Corporation Bumper system for automatic guided vehicles

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5775750A (en) * 1996-06-19 1998-07-07 Abb Flexible Automation Inc. Robotic collision detection bumper
US6183025B1 (en) * 1997-03-25 2001-02-06 Hope Technical Developments Limited Bumper assembly
US6267194B1 (en) * 1998-12-17 2001-07-31 Daimlerchrysler Ag Brake control system for a motor vehicle
US6364433B1 (en) * 1999-05-07 2002-04-02 Werner H. Stemer Automotive brake system and method
US6761020B1 (en) * 2001-01-04 2004-07-13 Donald F. Behrens Delineator pole and mower attachment
US20050250413A1 (en) * 2004-05-10 2005-11-10 Lo Kai C Moving toy
US7234991B2 (en) * 2004-05-10 2007-06-26 Firecode Ltd. Moving toy

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE9203233D0 (sv) 1992-11-02
SE9203233L (sv) 1993-05-06
DE4237578A1 (de) 1993-05-13
SE510516C2 (sv) 1999-05-31
DE4237578C2 (de) 2002-09-26

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AS Assignment

Owner name: FMC CORPORATION, ILLINOIS

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:DOUGLAS, BARRY D.;KUZMISSION, JOHN M.;REEL/FRAME:006514/0574

Effective date: 19911211

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Year of fee payment: 4

FPAY Fee payment

Year of fee payment: 8

AS Assignment

Owner name: FMC TECHNOLOGIES, INC., ILLINOIS

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:FMC CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:012698/0205

Effective date: 20011126

REMI Maintenance fee reminder mailed
LAPS Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
STCH Information on status: patent discontinuation

Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362

FP Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee

Effective date: 20050727